Rofin equips StarCut Tube processing centre with automatic tube loader

The Rofin StarCut Tube centre is designed for high precision drilling and cutting of delicate round and oval tube components used in such products as implants, instruments or endoscopes. The CNC-driven rotary, x, y, and z axis system allows numerous mechanical machining steps to carried out in a single routine. The side-loading magazine accepts tubes ranging from 3 to 30 mm diameter and up to 3 m in length. A walking-beam separation system ensures precise and gentle handling of small diameter tubes. Grippers provide accurate and reliable tube feeding and residual material is automatically removed. The automated tube-loading module is also available for wet laser cutting to provide burr-free and oxide-free machined edges, thus reducing the need for post-processing steps. The water cooling system has been integrated within the main machine housing with the water tank being easily accessible and removable for water changes. The StarCut Tube can be powered by a range of Rofin laser sources, including StarFemto FX, StarPico or StarFiber FC, which can deliver contour accuracies better than ±5 µm. The femtosecond laser source provides pulse lengths down to 300 fs and wavelengths of 1,030, 515 and 343 nm. Pulses shorter than 1 ps are necessary for true, cold material processing and distortion-free cutting, says Rofin.